Home arrow Archives arrow Round the States arrow Round The States 2012 arrow Mamata Pull Out: STATES SEEK POUND OF FLESH?, By Insaf, 20 Sept, 2012
 
Home
News and Features
INFA Digest
Parliament Spotlight
Dossiers
Publications
Journalism Awards
Archives
RSS
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mamata Pull Out: STATES SEEK POUND OF FLESH?, By Insaf, 20 Sept, 2012 Print E-mail

Round The States

New Delhi, 20 September 2012 

Mamata Pull Out

STATES SEEK POUND OF FLESH?

By Insaf

 

Thanks to West Bengal other States can extract their pound of flesh from the Centre. With Chief Minister and Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee deciding to pull out of the UPA-II on the issue of FDI in retail, cap on subsidised LPG cylinders and diesel price hike regional satraps are weighing their future options carefully. For starters, statements from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are worth a watch. UP’s ruling Samajwadi Party, has given ample hint that it is willing to support for now but is unsure for how long.  Should UP-II construe this as a quid pro quo? Let us not forget that supremo, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has Prime Ministerial ambition is facing CBI probe in one case or another, like his bête noire BSP leader Mayawati. The latter too is non-committal and will take a decision only next month. While it is uncertain how much of pressure the two will be able to yield on the Congress high command, the State could gain with some more sops. Recall, that only recently, the Centre had cleared Rs. 45,000 crore package for UP, conceding almost half of the demand (Rs 93,000 crore) made by the Akhilesh Yadav government. This was close on the heels of the Presidential and Vice-presidential elections.

Close on the heels of UP, Bihar too is sending out signals to the Centre. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, however, has been rather upfront. Viewing the situation created by Mamata as “critical”’s he took the opportunity to send out a message on Wednesday last. “I will extend support to anyone in the formation of the next Government if it grants special status to Bihar," he stated during rallies in the district headquarters of West and East Champaran. While he did not categorically say that he was willing to fill the vacuum created by Mamata, his statement cannot be dismissed as a mere “political stunt” as described by rival Lalu Prasad. Let us keep in mind that like Mulayam, he too is eyeing the top post at the Centre. The big question doing the rounds is whether he is willing to swap partners for the next Lok Sabha polls? He might just as he too has a demand list. Among others he wants New Delhi to help expand the thermal power station at Barauni and pay the bills for the National Highways repairs. Will his wish list come true soon? 

*                                               *                                               *                                               *

TN-Karnataka Row

A solution to the Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka remains elusive. As New Delhi failed miserably on Wednesday last to bring about a rapprochement, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha has set her eyes on the Supreme Court to get relief. Her counterpart, Jagdish Shettar too not only turned down Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s formula of awarding 9000 cusecs of water every day for 25 days till October 15 to its neighbour to save the standing crops, but simply walked out of the meeting. Not even a drop of water would be given, was his assertion as the State was reeling under severe drought! As it turned out, his justification was immaterial. Jayalalitha too wasn’t willing to compromise on her State’s demand of 2 tmcft water for 24 days or 1 tmcft for 30 days. Sadly, neither of the two has given a thought to saving the standing crop! 

*                                               *                                               *                                               *

Punjab Corruption  

The SAD-BJP government in Punjab is pink with embarrassment. Following conviction of two ministers (Bibi Jagir Kaur and Tota Singh) in the recent past, it now has a third wicket down. On Sunday last, Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development and SC/BC Welfare Gulzar Singh Ranike handed in his resignation to Chief Minister Badal. Apparently, his son and staff have reportedly made a good buck on development and welfare schemes meant for villages. While Ranike has been overseeing these departments since 2007, corruption charges only started surfacing in 2011. Internal inquiry so far reveals that Rs 2 crore is alleged to have been siphoned off from the Minister’s discretionary funds in 2011-12 and another Rs 50-odd lakhs through the Border Area Development Programme funds. Clearly, the Government which got an unprecedented second term only this March had better put its house in order before disillusionment sets in. It can ill-afford more scandals.         

*                                               *                                               *                                               *

States’ Mixed Response

The Centre will be able to gauge the people’s mood over its bid to push reforms. On Thursday last, UPA-ruled and Opposition States gave a mixed response to the Bharat bandh called by the NDA, the Left and the SP to protest UPA’s decision to hike diesel prices, allow FDI in multi-brand retail and cap subsidy on LPG. While road and rail traffic was disrupted in parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha, the protest had little impact in Maharashtra (thanks to Ganapati celebrations) and national capital Delhi. Traders in most States, however, ensured that the markets remained closed for better half of the day, especially in capitals such as Lucknow, Guwahati and Patna. In the North-East, while Assam witnessed closure of educational institutions, banks and private offices remained closed and little traffic on roads, the bandh was hardly noticed in Sikkim. Schools, colleges, government offices and banks were open and vehicles plied as usual on the roads. While leaders of various parties, which called the bandh may have shared a platform, the ruling dispensation can study State-wise reports and comfortably take a decision of how much leeway it can take. 

*                                               *                                               *                                               *

Ganapati Dress Code

Youngsters may need to watch what they wear for the Ganapati festival in Maharashtra. The Andheri mandal in Mumbai which draws nearly two lakh devotees, has for the first time issued a dress code. Nobody above 13 years of age will be allowed to enter the mandal in shorts, miniskirts and clothes above the knees. The reason cited by the organisers of Andhericha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal is simple i.e. over the years many devotees came dressed in “outrageous, offensive and even downright unacceptable clothes.” This has been viewed as not only an insult to the sombreness of the festivity but also caused unwanted distractions and even offended the sensibilities of other devotees. With the festivities in full swing since Wednesday last, the ban would among others ensure a smile on Lord Ganesh.---INFA

(Copyright, India News and  Feature Alliance)

< Previous   Next >
 
   
     
 
 
  Mambo powered by Best-IT